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E 458 
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SPEECH 



ON THK AVAR, 



BY 



/ 



MA J. L CHANDLER BALL,^ 



PAYMASTEK U. 8. A. 



dp:liveked at 



H S I C K F A I. L :S , 



December Otb, 18G3. 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 

CHRONICL-E RRIMT 



biood that I inherited rrorii patiiot sires Ireely shed to preserve and 
transmit to my rhil'lrei! tlio hlessino-s bequeathed to me by the Fathers 
"f tile Revobifloii. 

Aetin- on this ])rinci])le, whrw inj son was obliged, from physieal 
disnbility. to leave the service. I went to tlie regiment and offered — 
begged permission to take his ]d;ice: bnt -was [jrcvented from d<:>ing so 
by the non-eonmiissioned oi^ieers. wiio insisTe<l that all v:io;tneies shonh] 
hr- fiUod from the company. 

Wlien the One Hundred and TAvent\-hftk Kegiment Avas bci rig raised, 
and for a long time no one could be found here to take tlie place of 
eaptain, I obtained authority from Governor Morgan to raise a company, 
and I earnest]}- besought my iellow-t(;)wnsmen to enlist and let me lead 
them where duty eallcd and glory waited to crowii us with unfading 
laurels. 

That I was nnsuccessful was owing, pcrhap^, to m^' gray liairs and 
supposed bodily iniirmities — though during the eight months I was 
Quartermaster, (wiiich I can truly say is one of the hardest posts in the 
whole army. I 1 touiirl jnyselC able to perform all the labor and endure all 
the har(lshii)s ami ])i-i\ations incid(Mittothe service, witliout aftcctingmy 
health or weakening my ])ati'iotism. In Jact, I saw men Avhose physical 
powers appeared to In- much stronger than mine, fall by the wayside, be 
carried to the liospitnls, oi' go home on siclc leave, wlnle T kept at work 
and was none the worse for the (wposure. 

I liave tbini<l, li<;we\<T. iji iho army a.- in ci\il lile. tliat many Avh<> 
claim to ])Q invalids and get themst'lves placed upon the sick list, are 
mistaken as to the scat and character of their complaint. The weakness 
they feel is in tlic livej— the pluck : and disposes them t(> avoid hardship 
and danger, simply becau-^c these are the disagreeable inciilents of a 
soldier's life. 

It is proper, J )crlia]js. ti' saj- here that 1 did not l(.'a\e the One llnndrcd 
and Twenty-fifth 'l^\u"inl(Mlt from any 'lislaste Ibr tlu' service, or any 
dislike towards any metnbei- ol' tlic regiment, but simply because the 
situation afford(^d no o])portunity Ibr paiticipating in an engagement, or 
even sharin'j iij the liouors which the regiment miglil gain. 

In times of danger, and < luring an engagement, tlie iiuartermasrers arc 
alwavs sent to the re.'-n- in charge i>{' ihe Itagu'aee and <tore.-;. 



It is important, of course, to have good qxiartermasters, but they are 
after al] little more than hoad-tcamsters, and the man who has the most 
.skill in loading a wooon and mana.a;ing a mule team, i.s freneralh- tlie be.st 
• luartermnster. 

With an earnest desire to aid, l)y pei'sonal services in the field, in 
putting- down the rebellion and restoring the supremac}- of the Federal 
(jovernment. I have not been able to obtain a position in which that 
desire could be gratified : and I have consequently no exciting adventures 
to relate — no brilliant descriptions to give of the great battles that have 
been fought, and tell you of the steady advance, the gallant charge, the 
obstinate defense, the sullen retreat, the swift pursuit ; and how, at the 
close of the bloody fight, victor and A^nnquished sunlc down toi^-ether — 

" Tlio weary to slfcp, ami tin- wounded to die." 

J^evertheles, my connection with the army, my intercourse with its 
officers, my experience in camp life, and my familiarity Avith much of the 
country occupied by the contending forces, have enabled me to estimate 
more fully and correctly than I otherAvise could, the magnitude of the 
war, the fiendish l^arbarity with which it has been conducted b}' the rebels, 
the difficulties that beset the Administration in prosecuting it, and the 
(tauses Avhich have hitherto preA'ented its successful termination. 

In regard to the magnitude of the operations in Avhichthe GoA'ernment 
is engaged, I shall only take the time to say. that, to an observing mind, 
they are objects of unceasing admiration and wonder, andfurni.sh higher 
evidence of the A^ast poAvcr and boundless resources of the country than 
is to be found in the most extensive and magnificent enterprises of civil 
life. 

No person can see the extensive fortifications, stretching mile alter 
mile and covering large areas of country: the en(.)rmous guns Avitli which 
they are mounted, the immense range of their fiery ])r<^jectilcs: hill and 
plain, as far as the eye can reach, white with tents and gleaming with the 
bayonets of a mighty ho.st, whose firm tread resounds upon the air as it 
forms itseli in Ixattle array, and, responsive lo insjnrhig mnsie. swi-eps 
on to the liarve.st of death; the almost interminable trains of subsistence 
and military stores that follow and distribute suppli(?s to the army; the 
immense depots from which these supplies are drawn, and tlie ra{iiilit\ 
and regularity Avith Avhich they are filled and re-filled to meet the \^'ants 
of the service ; the vast amount of wur material held in reserve in •store 



L 'Uses and mtigazinos, with the ceaseless outpouring- of these materials 
From all the avenues of industry and trade ; the inflowing streams of 
Jiardy soldiers, which, in spite of reductions from sickness and by battle., 
keei> up the effective fighting force of the army; the large and commo- 
dious refreshment houses erected on all the great lines of travel, aptly 
and neautifull^- named "Soldiers' Rests,"' where appetising food, pure 
water, respecti'ul attendance, and a hearty welcome, meet the warrior 
hunying to the scene of conflict, and the returning soldier, whose strength 
has been spent in the service oi' his (_'Ountr\^, and whose feeble limbs art- 
1 learing him back to the home and the hearts he has fought to protect and 
gladden : the spacious and comfortable hospitals, whei-e all the means and 
appliances known to mo(lic;il science' are employed to restore tlie sick, heal 
the wounded, ease the ]3ains of the dying, and, after tlie spirit has taken 
its celestial flight, prepare tlie hallowed remains for removal to the city 
of the dead — ho one can see all these things witliout behig filled with 
astonishment at the magnificent resources of the connliy, and impressed 
with a feeling of intense and boundless admiration for a people who can 
thus pour out their blood and treasure to defend their possessions; Jior 
without a profound conviction that the cause whicli such a peo]")le advo- 
cates and defends isjusj, and will 1-»p triumjthantlv sustained. 

The manner in wliich the war has been waged by the rebels not only 
(.lishonors civilization, but disgraces humaiiity. No ])erson can read of, 
much less witness, the atrocities inflicted by the rebels on Federal soldiers 
and Union citizens Avhom the lortunes of war have thrown into their 
hands, without a feeling of horror at the depths of depravity into which 
human beings will plunge in pursuit of their selfish an<l wi<-ked ends. 

In the whole history ol' liuman warJarL', J'rom thai tirst civil war in 
which Cain slew his brothei' and received the inelfaccable mark of (lod's 
displeasure, nothing -- nothing exceeds in fiendish mrdignity the acts oi' 
those Southern men who. in this Avar, are lighting <m tho side of treason 
and reliellion. 

The Poe-ts and Sagas oi" old Si'aiidina\'ia. in rrcording tiie dfcdsot' their 
warriors and vikings. Jiavc pi-eser\'(;d tlie J:\ct that they made cups and 
domestic vess«'ls out of the skulls of thcii' cuemic-. IVoni wdiieh they 
drank inebriating liquors and ])Oured rrd li1)ntion.> to the gods they 
worshipped. l-V.ii rhis was uol only before i he- Star o[' Betlilehern 7-ose 



and bathed the world in glory, tnii before even the {'aim iwilight of 
heathen civilization appeared to indicate that tli<^ night of ignorajice and 
bai'lxn'i.siii was jjassing away. 

The Union .--oldiens who fell a^t the lirst battle of Bull liun had their 
} leads severed from theii* })odies, and their skulls made into drinking- 
•Mips, from Avhich their brutal victoi's quaffed rosy wine, and, amid the 
eheers oi' an jiifuriatcd soldiery, drank to the downfall of republican 
go vei-nment a.ud the perpetuity of human slaver}". The flesh was cut 
and scraped lii_an the limbs and bodies of these martyrs to Liberty, and 
their bones made into rings and bracelets, cane-heads, pipes, and tobacco- 
boxes, and sent as presents to the friends of the rebellion, to be preserved 
as mementos of the battle, and the hatred with which these fiends incar- 
nate pursued their retreating foe. And this was done in the ndddle oi' 
the nineteenth century of the Christian era, in a country which science 
and the arts, learning and religion, have unitixl to exalt and glorify, and 
by nien who ehiini to embody the chivalry of the age, and exhibit in 
their A\'alk anil eonxersation all the Christian graces. 

After the repulse of the Union soldiers at Ball's BluffJ thej- attempted 
to (^scape by swimming the Potomac river, and most of tlie killed were 
shot while struggling in the Avater. One bold swimmei- -was pursued by 
a rebel, whose strength i'ailed him in the sAvift current, and he was about 
to sink, A\'hen the Union soldier, whose heart glowed Avithaflame brighter 
rliaji the fires tljat war hadkindled, turned and caught ivis sinking enemy, 
jiid, Ijy gr(\at exertions, bore him sately back to the shore. What return, 
think you, did this rebel make to Iris preserver? Delivered him up a 
prisoner, and he was sent to Itichmond to starve and die in Libby Pi'ison. 

During the battle of (Jetty.^burg a L^nion soldier was attracted l)y the 
earnest gaze of a wounded and a]>])arently dying reliel. The soldier 
rai.sed him up and gave him water from Ins own canteen. As he turned 
to Avhere the battle >til! raged, tli(^ « lying rebel, revived In' the water he 
had drank, siruggie'l to his feet, seized hi- musket, and, witli Jatal aim 
siiot the soldier whose large humanity ]))■< mijUed liim to relieve the pains of 
a dying enemy. 

In all Ibrjii' v war.-, when the .'-trile and theeai'uage of l>attle we]'e oveJ-. 
victor and vanijui:<hed \ i^'d with each other in relieving the Avounded and 
in paying the tribnti.' ol' .-i de<'ent and respiM-tCnl bnjial tothosc avIio had 



Icillcii. .Sleru wurriors. who, ;i muiucnt bei'ore, bad sought each otlit-r s 
life, stood with bared Ijrows beside the mound their hands had raised, and 
bedewed with tears tlie *j;raves of tlie gallant dead. 

At tlie t)attle oi' Chickainauga the rebels retained possession of the 
held, and refused permission to bnrv th(^ Union dead or remove tlio 
wounded. The}- would not even allow the Union surgeons whom they hiid 
(•apturedto dress a wound or render the slightest aid to the men who wer^; 
lying helpless in their blood and dying for want of the care they were 
])re]jared to give. For eight days this inhuman order was enforced. 
During nil that time not a Union corpse Avas buried : not a wound was 
dressed. The dead lay stiffening in their bloody shrouds, the wounded 
endured the tortures ol' ])ain and thirst, or breathed their lives away in 
unavailing groans and ju^ayers ior snecoi'. T ha\ c been told that no 
pencil could paint the rev<.lting scene Avhich that Held presented when a 
pally of Union soldiers were permitte.l to \isit a ])ortion of it to l)ui'y 
the dead and remove llu- li\ing. 

The bodv of a Union caplain. wlio lell in an unsurecssful assauh uj.on 
Port Hudson, remained unbnried in ihe sight of both armies for forty- 
iive (lavs. <luriug all wliieh time the body was watched by a guard of 
rebel shaii)-.<hooter.s, to pi'eveuL its being remoNcd an<l buried by his 
comrades. That this suV)iect of reb(d hate had Atrican blood in his 
veins, in no wise divests the act of its barbarous and inhuman character. 
It was on that accovmt only the more vile and reprehensibh;, as it added 
meannos to 1 n-utaliiy. The Cai.taiii Li?ll at the head of his sable warrioi'>. 
gallantlv lighting tor the Qnion : and uo man pressed further, or iell 
nearer the rebel works than he. Atiei' tlie surremler of Port Hudson, 
the body was takeii to New ()rleans for burial. Funeral services were 
performed in the <irand Pat lied ral. according to the imposing rites of the 
Catholic Clmivli, and the largest pnx-ession ever seen in New Orleans 
followed the l>odvto tlie cemetery; and wdien the <loors of the vault 
closed uponthesemorial ivmains. History engraved upon herindestructable 
tablets and took into lier own imniorial keeping the name ol' PlKi^TiK 
C.Mi.roix. 

fetonewail .laclv-oii. on hi^ retie-at throagli the .Shenandoah N'alley. 
took us hostages twelve ])eaeeable citizens of the city of AVinchester — 
old men of sixty and seventy years - -marched them to Strasbttrg, where 



I'uvc of them were huiiw-. aiul the. i-e.-.t >eiit to iJiehiuuixl. At the Last 
:iecouii(> all but one liad .lied hi prison. 

^ Ouo >pruig jiioniiiiLj, in Istil, iju- i,,.,,..,. ,n M ,-. (Jr.Mdcer, loriurrlv ol 
<';iiiibri(|ge. a man over ri-hty vears old, then livin-- in \'ir^Jnia, was 
sarruimded bv guerrillas and h- madr pri-ai.-r. Me was^k.-u bv 
lorccd marehes to Cul|H-|M.r. m..rr than <>nr hnn.Jivd mih-s. and ilirusi 
into ]M-ison. and tla-rc hit :,\nur and unainMid.-d i,, ,!ic. Mr. IVarl. who 
Ibrmerh' kept a hotel in d^rov. and who was a ur.,,- neighbor <>i Mr. 
Crocker and knowing to all thr laets. told me that he was aeinally 
starved to d.ath. MnCro-dver'-olVene-e wa.s voting against the Virginia 
<">rdinanee of Seees.'^ion. 

Bv the wuv: I lia\e t>r.eii told i hal jn^l previous to tho vote on the 
( >rduianee of Secession, arnanl men rode throttgli all the doubttul portions 
ol the State, warning Union men not to appear at the polls, and thi-eat- 
ening destruction of proi)erty and lite to such as dared to exercise the 
rights oJ' an Aineriean eiti/.cn. 

Now, these are not isolated eases of ernelly— they are not selected foJ- 
any peculiar atrocity they exhibit over a thousand others-they are 
simijly j.arts of a series of .systematic cruelties i-)racti.sed by tli(> rebels 
m their e-.nduet of the war. Instead of prosecuting the war uponjudn- 
eiples adopted by .dvilized nation^, wijth a \iew to lc.s.sen its h-.rrorsand 
iiutigate .some of its rigor.<, they hav.'inade it the ..ceasionfor the .-xhi- 
Intion of all those Jlerce pa.s.siuns and brnial j.ro]iensitics which, ever 
>inee the fall, have allli.-ted and .ii.-^graerd the human rai'e. They, 
invariably when they have, tlie ji,.we]-. .Miip, i'..b and mutilate tlie dea'd 
left upon the battle-tield. If th<-y l.nry a l),)dy. ii is with the iiieed..wn- 
ward. and u ith indecent and obseene i-eremom'es. Thev murder .such 
))risoners as they have a special antipathy agaiii.st. and tho.se who.se lives 
they spare arc treated Avitli su(di .Tuelty that death comes to them as a 
welcome relief. They prowl about the .-ountry in guerrilla band.s. niuj-- 
dering, burning, and destroying, and devoting whole villages of peaceful 
men to indiscriminat(' slaughter. They rise suddenly upon their unsus- 
pecting neighbors, kill the men. burn the Ix.uses, and drive the women 
and children to prison. If the bnion men of this village .should, by 
u secret and concerted movement, rise and murder every secessionist in 



10 

it; e\'erv nuni who li;i,s uttered ;i U( uti in liuoi' oi' the rel^eilion, or, if auy es- 
caped, liutit them witli dogs and guns through fields, swamps and woods, 
and, when found, kill tliein. as the hunter kills the "vvild beasts of the for- 
est, they would do preeiselyas the rel>elshave done and continue to do in all 
parts of the ceaiiiiry where they have control. Of set purpose, and with 
malice aforethought, they take the lives of Union prisoners by hundreds 
and by thousanvls by the lingering jjrocess of starvation. They dress in 
b'ederal uniform, and carry the flag of the Union t(j deceive their oppo- 
nents, and rush u nawares upon the Federal lines. Their piratical vessels 
bear down upon their unsuspecting victims under the colors of France or 
England, or strike their hellish blows with the signal of distress— the 
white emblem of peac i and good will — flying at the masthead. The}- 
throw railroad tj-aiiis off the track without regard to the character of the 
passengers. They burn steamboats, and destro}- the lives of men, women 
and children, engaged in the peaceful pursuits of commerce, or on visit .< 
to their families and friends. Their women pla}- the harlot to entice 
Union soldiers within the rebel lines, or to obtain information that will 
l<?ad to the destruction of the Union forces. In short, thej'c is no form 
of cruelty they have ni.»t practised, no meanness to which they have not 
descended, in their eftbrts to divide the country and devote its fairest 
portion to perpetuate the institution of slavery. 

Some of the most learned philosophers and naturalists of the present 
age haxQ promu 1 i^ated the theorv that the human race had its origin in 
the lower animals ; and that through successive gradations of fish, reptile, 
and mammalia, up through monkey, chimpanzee, and gorrilla, it has 
attained its pres(Mit exalted position and transcendent powers. And they 
suppose further, that the race is still in its transition period, and that 
while in every generation millions and millions of these beings possess 
the form of man, only those wdio reach a certain point in the ascending- 
scale of improvement, drop their animal nature and take on the distinc- 
tive attributes of humanity — that is, become possessed of a human soul. 

The history of this rebellion will, I (loubt not, make may converts to 
this theory. 

We look upon these rebels, in arms against the best government on 
earth, and find that they possess forms and organs like our own, and in 
the exercise of a generous faith Ave call thein brothers. But Avhen their 
shocking acts of cruelty and hate, their inhuman and beastly propensi- 
ties, and the atrocious objects they have in vie^v come to our knowledge, 



11 

shuddering humanity disclaims the relationship,, and avc arc disposed to 
adopt the theory to which I have alluded,, and suppose that while thc^se 
beings possess the form of man. tliey are still lu-ntes. 

It is a matter oi" surjn-ise to some peo})le tliat tlie why has not been 
brought to a close by the destruction of the rebel armies, and the occu- 
pation, if need be, of the South(>rn States by a Federal force sufficient to 
protect the hwal and awe into silence and submission those rebelliously 
inclined. These men look u}ion the war as if it was a sum in arithmetic: 
and ])eing in possession, as they suppose, of the terms of the }>roposition — 
the relative numbers, wealth, warlike stores, and the facilities which each 
section possesses for supplying the waste and loss which Avar inflicts, they 
figure out an easy victory for the North. an<l they grow im})atieiit and 
restive under the fiiilure of the Administration to put down the I'ebcUion 
and restore peace and quiet to the country. If the war was simply be- 
tween the North and the South for the possession of territory and the 
exerci.se of sovereign power, and if each section depended entirely u])on 
its own resources for success, the sixty days allowed by Secretary Seward 
for putting down the rebellion wovdd have been amply sulTicieut, and 
there would be good reason for the impatience which these men manifest. 
But the war has no such narrow bounds, and its duration camiot bepre- 
tlicte(' by comparing the strength and resources <•! the North with the 
South. The war is between Liberty and Despotism — between that social 
order and obedience to law Avhich rest upon the prinei])les of .self-govern- 
ment and faith in human progrcs.s, and that whie'h is enforced by the 
bayonet and the lash ; and thougli the actual scene of conflictt is within 
the United States^, every despotic and munarehieal government on earth 
and every individual who seeks to rise b}' the debasement of his fellow- 
men, are the friends and suj)porters of this rebellion. The kings and 
princes ol' Europe, the light of whose jeweled crowns is eclipsed by the 
glor}' that encircles the brow of Liberty, and whose thrones shake and 
totter as the waves of Republicanism dash against their foundations and 
break in dazzling foam over their time-worn canopies, are as much inte- 
rested in the result oi' this Avar as if it Avas being fought in their oAvn 
dominions. They knoAv that the term of their lease of poAver depends 
upon the stability oi this government, and the permanency of those insti- 
tutions Avhich the rebels are attem})ting to OA'crthroAv and destroy. They 
know thnt the oxnmple oC a peoph^ liA'ing under L'n\'« of its OAvn 



12 

making, administered by uifii of its own clioice, (and, instead of falling 
mto auarcliy and confusion and dropping ont of tlic family of nations, 
maintaining the highest social and public ordei', and assuming, by virtue 
of its vast possessions, its numbers, wealth, and intelligence, the first rank 
among the nations of the earth,) is fatal to the existence of governments 
founded in usurpation, and maintained l)y devoting the working classes 
to perpetual vassalage. They know that when Republicanism shall be 
fairly established, and so clothed with majesty and ])Ower, that, while 
compelling tlie respect of foreign nations, it enforces obedience and pre- 
ser^'es order at home, the questicm of man's capacity for freedom will 
lia^'c been affirmatively decided ; and that then the words that announced 
to tlie Babylonian monarch his doAvnlall and degradation will b^ written 
on the walls of ever.y banquet room Avliere kings and nobles have rev- 
eled and rioted on the sAvent nnd blood of tlie people whom they assumed 
to lead and govern. 

The rebels are lighting against republican government, and therefore in 
the interest of monarchy and despotism ; and this fact has secured t<') 
them the aid of England, France, Spain and Austria. 

What other interest have European governments in this war? Why 
should European sympathy be expended upon rebels, rather than upon 
the loyal people of the North, except that the rebels are endeavoring to 
destroy a government that is dangerous to tyrants, and except that the 
rebel theory of government that might makes right, is the same that 
upholds the privileged orders and aristocratic institutions of their own 
king and nobility-ridden country ? 

Though ostensibly fighting to put down the rebellion within our own 
borders, we arc virtually at war with all tlie croA^med heads of Europe. 
English ships, manned b}^ English sailors and marines, rove the ocean, 
and burn and destroy every vessel at whose masthead floats the emblem of 
freedom. England openly supplies the rebels ^yith. guns and ammuni- 
tion. France furnishes them with clothing, medicines and surgical 
hisfruments. Austrin and Sj^niu unite with France in obstructing our 
southern pathway, and millions and millions of the secret service money 
which these nations expend is used to su])port the forces of Jeff. Davis, 
and place spies nnd ti-aitors in the F(^der;il nrniv jind among tlic friends 
of the Union. 

But there is another reason whv the \var lias been prolonged bevond 



13 

t]i(3 time first assigned ibr its teriiiinaticm, and wlij enterprises wiiicli 
shonld .have been crowned with success have resulted in disaster and 
defeat. The L^nioii army has had to contend against an enemy mort^ 
unscrupulous than the armed foes tliey meet upon the V)attle-iield ; hkjix- 
hostile to the Federal government tlian the tyrants and despots of Europe. 
The rebels are not all south of IMason and Dixon's line. V7ould to God 
they were, for then speedy death by hemp or steel would be their certain 
liite. But in every village; and neighborhood throughout the loyal States 
are men who are thoroughly imbued with tlie principles u])on which 
monarchies are founded — sucli as that power should be held by a select 
few. wiiosp names sliDuld l)o recorded in books of heraldry, and their 
garments decorated Avith orders of nobility — that capital should own 
hibor — that the right of suffrage should be restricted to the governing 
• 'lass, witli other odious doctrines, only taught in countries upon which 
the sun of li1:)ertv has not risen. These men, having- a fellow-feeling with 
the South in its love for aristocratic institutions, and desiring for selfish 
purposes the permanent debasement of labor, do fully and sincerely 
sympathise with the rebellion, and are doing all the}' can to make it sue- 
cesful. Joined with these men are a number of individuals whose only 
idea of patriotism, national honor, and the integrity of the Union, is the 
success of the party to which they Ijclong. These men, though enjoying 
the inestimable rights of citizenship and Ijasking in the full sunshine of 
freedom, nc^-er rise above the mere politician. Fidelity to party is the 
only article in their political creed — tlieone cardinal virtue upon which 
all tlieir patriotism is built — and therefore in their eyes no man can 
possibly be a traitor who votes their ticket; and as the rebels were their 
political allies before tlie war, and would vote with them now if they had 
the opportunity, they still look upon tliem as brethren in good standing, 
and are endeavoring to secure tlieir return to the ]iolitical church, 
unwashed, unregenerated, with tlicfoul stains of treason upr.n their gar- 
ments, thcii' hands red with the blood ol' the martyred sons of fVeedom? 
and the original cancer that caused the rebellion spreading through the 
system, eating into theii- vitals and sucking \\p all the finer juices of 
humanitv. These men. the aristocrat and the politician, are working 
together to cmbari'ass the Government, defeat its armies, and dismeml)er 
the countrv, in the hope that in the reconstruction which would follow 
tlie chaos they hope to ][)roduce, the}' will obtain that power and personal 
eon si deration. Avithont whieh thev hold free institutions valueless, 



14 

nation;! 1 prosperity of no account, nncl social order not \vort]] preserving. 
Now, tliese men are just as much tlie enemies of the Republic astherebels 
themselves, and in estimating the relative strengtl) of the contending forces, 
they should be counted with the rcbe]s. Indeed, their hostility to the 
Government is of a more dangertuis character than that whicli arrays 
itself in armor and boldly meets its opponents upon the battle-field 
There is a sneaking meanness about these non-combattants which the 
rebels despise, though their acts are as much designed to cripple the Ad- 
ministration and ])revent the successful prosecution of the war, as the 
movements of Lee or the plans of Jeff. Davis. They discourage enlist- 
ments, oppose the draft, encourage desertions, help rebel prisoners to 
escape, -send supplies to the rebel army, and conve}' important informa- 
tion to its leaders. They condemn every movement of the Federal 
army, belittleing its victories and magnifving its defeats, while lauding 
the skill of Southern generals, and claiming superiority for its barbarous 
and inhuman soldier}-, Wheii success crowns the Federal arms, they 
mourn and hide their faces; and they rejoice and their hcaits are made 
glad when the tide of battle turns and beats down loyal battalions and 
devotes their neighbors and townsmen to rebel slaughter. They per.sis- 
tently denounce and defame the President and his Cabinet, and endeavor 
to bring into conteni])t the <T>nstitute<l authorities of tlie land. They 
counsel resistance to the laws, encourage riots, and help to destroy the 
property and take the lives of peaceable and unoffending citizens. Their 
presses vomit treason, i\\u\ tlieir orators shout defiance to tlie laws: and 
if one is suppressed of the other arrested, a howl goes forth from these 
self-elected conservators of liberty that the Cojistitution has been violated. 
It is not proper, say they, to relieve the countr\- froin ihc throttling 
grasp -of rebellion except in acojistitutiona! manner, an<l the Co]3- 
stitution does not ]iermit the Government to defend itself liy Ibrce. It 
nowhere authorises armed ro.sistance to rebellion. There is no clause in 
the Constitution by wliicli the ])eoi)le can use tlieir sovereign ])OAve]- to 
to save from destruction tlie Govei^nmcnt of tbcir choice, and preserve 
from disinembernunit the country they own and inhabit ; therefore, all 
efforts to preserve hy Gutc the established forms of government and 
prevent the division ot the country, aiv uncon.<tituti<>n;d and wrong, and 
should be innnediately abandoned. 

The.se men, l)y their opposition to tlie war. have sceni\;d ;iii immor- 
tality of infamv: otherwise, it were a pity that these conunentators 



upon tlic (J<)u.>titiiiiou h;ul not livcil in tlie <lnvs <>1 IVpc. Thev 
iiiiglit thru liavc been einbalnicd iti the " Duuciad/' and gone 
(]o-\vii to ]>ost<Tily in tljc list ol' those whom stu})idity has made 
immoital. But if it Mere all true what these men assert — ir tht.- 
Constitution furltids, or neglects to provide for, the exercise of })owers 
necessary to siqipress insurrection and put down rebellion — the people, 
in their sovereign and collective capacity, are the source and fountain of 
all power: and if. in attemjjting to defend and presei've the rights 
humanity has won from ignorance and barbarism, from tyranny and 
oppression, the}- find themselves fettered by constitutions and articles of 
confederation made in a former age, and adapted to times of peace and tran- 
quility, these bands will be like the green wythes with which Delilah bound 
Sampson — insufficient to prevent^ the exercise of their -s'ast strength to 
uphold tlic Republic, and take vengeance u]K)n those worshippers oi' 
Dagon who seek to overthrow and destroy it. 

The constitution has been violated by every Administration that has 
"■xisted in the countrv, oftentimes for purposes of doubtful utility ; oftener 
still to subserve the interests of a party. Shall we let these violations 
go unrebidced, and only condenm those which are made in the interest 
oi freedom and humanity? Shall we take tithes of mint and cummin, 
and neglect the weighter matters upon which national existence depend ? 

Let it be remembered that n(j one pretends that the Constitution has 
been violated but those who are identified in syjnpath}- and sentiment 
with the rebellion, and who are ]")lotting to deliver the country into the 
hands of traitr-rs. 

That the.><e men should denounce tli<' Ailmini.stration and object to 
arrest and punishment, is not strange. 

" Xo rogue e'er felt llu.- Jialirr dniw 
Witli irooil oiiinifin of llie hiw." 

Letitals(^ be remembered, that ?/ the Constitution has been \ iuluted l.»y 
the present Administration, iff has been on the side of Liberty and 
Humanitv. and not of Oppression and Wrong— to sav-e the national lile, and 
enable lis to transmit to posterity that glorious heritage of Freedom of 
which we are but the life tenants, Ixjund during our occupancy to com- 
mit no waste, suffer no decay, i)ermit no spoliation : but lo hand it over 
to our successors enriched by tho.se costly additi<jns of genius and learn. 
in<'- which we have the Divine promise shall be continued from generation to 



16 

geiiejiiliuii, until jnan's cjii'tlily lial)it;ition takes tJie similitude aud ,aiow? 
with tlie splendor of "that house not made Avith hands, eternal in the 
Heavens," 

It cannot be doubted ibr a moment that if the rebels received no aid 
and comfort from their Northern friends, or if these Northern svmpa- 
thisers with rebellion would join the rebel army, Avhcre they euuld l)e 
treated like public enemies, the war wonld be In'ouglit to a speedy 
termination. The attitndo which these )nen assume towards the Admin- 
istration, and the aid they gi\'e to the rebel cause, tend directhv to prolong 
the Avar, iiitensily its horrors, and add to the hatred with which the tAvo 
sections regard each other. Whatever may be the result of this AA'ar. 
these men are fdling a cup of bitterness which they nvA their descendanf-^ 
Avill be compelled to diink to the A^ery dregs. 

The maji A\'ho opposes a just government, and ;irrays himself against 
the people Avhd are protecting the Avork of their OAvn hands, has read 
historj' to litth,^ purpose if he expects to live in honor or die regretted. 

In the war for American independence, the concentrated scorn and 
contempt of the people for the men Avho betrayed their country and 
preferred British vassalage to American freedom, found expression in 
the Avord ''Tory:" and the men who bore that opprobrious name sunk 
into their graA'cs under a load of infamv Avhich is forever increasing as 
successive generations read their hateful record. In this Avar, to secure 
and preserve the liberties gained upon the battle-fields of the Eevolutiou, 
the loyal people of the country have given to tlic men A\'ho betraj-ed 
their trusts and are endeavoring to divide the country, destroy the Gov- 
ernment, and extinguish the glowing fires of I'^reedom, tlie name of 
"Copperheads" — a name which, once given to its possessor, no rcchris- 
teningcan cA'cr annul or supersede, and no l)aptism OA'erAvash away — aname 
that Avill licneelbrth ho used to designate a loAver degree of human 
depravity than the Tories of tht; Eevolution cA'er reached. The Tory 
simplj' cndeaAored to prevent the construction of the Temple of Liberty 
AA'hich the people had connneiu-ed to build. 'J'he Copperhead is endeaA-or- 
ing to destroy that temple after it has been completed — linished in all its 
magnilicent appointments and decorations, and, Avith imposing ceremo- 
nies, dedicated to human IVeedom — with millions and millions of Avorship- 
pers thronging its courts and boAving in })roud humility before its 
consecrated shrines, celestial fire burning u])on its altars, the SAA'cet saA'or 



ir 

ot au acceptable sacriiice floating upou the air, and tlie exulting bynin 
of liberty rising in waves of Divine melody, and mingling with the 
choral sjnnphonies of Heaven. 

This is the temple the Copperhead -would desecrate and destroy : this 
tbe worship he would interrupt and abolish. 

Oh ! if there is in Hell another and a deeper Hell, then to its lowest 
depths, below the gloomv regions the Tories inhabit, let the Copperhead 
be consigned, there to expiate in darkness and despair his offences 
against liberty and humanity. 

And this is the universal sentiment of the army — of those heroic men, 
who amid the sufferings of the camp and the carnage of battle, in the 
silent watches of the night, and in the face of day, have sworn that never 
by their consent shall this temple be destroyed, or this worship cease. 

Another cause that has prolonged the war, is the number of false 
friends and secret enemies who have obtained the confidence of the Ad- 
ministration only to abandon and betray it when the hour of trial comes. 
Milton in his Paradise Lost, represents the spirits of Hell as assuming- 
innocent and attractive forms, in order to obtain entrance into the gar- 
den of Eden, to lure to destruction its new-made occupants. To expose 
the deception, Ithuriel, one of the angels who Avas set to guard the 
place, was furnished with a spear of Heavenly mould and temper, which 
compelled any being upon whom it was used to assume its own proper 
shape, and exhibit all its native ugliness. 

If the President had possessed Ithnriel's spear, and applied it to the 
men he employed to protect the country from the Eebel hordes who 
sought to divide and destroy it, he would have seen men who wore the 
Federal uniform and uttered sentiments of loyalty and devotion to the 
(rovernment, declaring that the war should be short, sharp, and decisive, 
.suddenly clothed in butternut, and spitting out the venom Avith which 
their Kebel hearts, \vere filled against the advocates and the institutions 
of freedom. 

Having no talisman by which the sincerity of the people could be 
tried, the President in the exercise of fallible human judgment has been 
deceived and the country imposed upon by men who are either rebels 
at heart, or who are so much in favor of Southern men and Southern in- 
stitutions, that they want to conduct the war so as not to hurt the one 
or disturb the other. 



18 

It is no longer donbted : — evervbodv adnuts now, tliat if the magnifi- 
eent armies first put in tlx^ tield, had been commanded by thoroughly 
loyal men — men who were determined to put down the Eebellion at all 
hazards and at any price, lea\dng side issues and ininor interests to be 
decided after the national life had been secured, this accursed Eebellion 
and the year that witnessed its advent would have gone down to the 
grave together. 

But the avenging hosts of freedom, plumed for victory and shouting- 
back the people's cry of " On I On to Richmond !"' Avere held back by 
timid and faithless generals until their ardor cooled and their spirits 
were subdued by the hardships and privations of a life to which they 
were unaccustomed — held back until the muster rolls of the army could 
be read from Hospital records and the headstones that marked the graves 
of the dead. 

Whenever a battle occurred oui' troops were sent into the tight in 
separate brigades and divisions to meet the whole force of the rebel 
army, and be overborne by the furious onset of its dense and well-sup- 
ported columns. 

It is a fact of peculiar significance in the early history of the war, 
that our reserves were always placed under generals who refused to 
bring tliem up to the support of their hard pressed comrades, rendering- 
defeat almost inevitable. 

At the first battle of Bull Run a sufficient force, under Colonel Miles, 
who afterwards surrendered Harper's Ferry, was stationed at Center- 
ville on the edge of the battle field as a reserve. When the Union 
ranks broke under the charge of Jackson's brigade, Miles, instead 
of rushing to their support and snatching victory from the jaws of 
defeat, as he might have done ; or instead of interposing his fresh and 
eager troops between the retreating army and their pursuers, and thus 
preventing a simple repulse from becoming a disgraceful rout, ordered 
a precipitate retreat, and that splendid reserve caught the panic they 
were placed there to prevent, and A\ithout even snapping a musket, led 
the flyiug column into Washington. 

At the second Bull Run battle, Fit/, -lohn Porter in command of a 
force sufficient to have insured a glorious victory to the Federal arms, 
utterly refused to bring his men into action, though he saw the battle 
raging around bim and the Union forces gradually giving way before 



19 

the .superior nuinbcrs which the rebel general was able to hurl against 
their extended and unsupported lines. 

At the battle of Autietain, which was only prevented from ])eing an- 
other rebel victory by the splendid fighting of Burnside and Hooker, 
the sa)ne Fit/, John Porter was in eoininand of the reserve, not one of 
whom fired a uun during all that bloodv fiffht, thouo"]! Burnside senl 
messenger after messenger, begginu' for reinforcements, and savinii- that 
he could not hold his position a moment longer. 

The terrible l.'uion loss in that battle was owing to the; fact, testified 
to before a committee of investigation, that there was no ]ilan of the bat- 
tle; but divisions were sent into the fight without any ci:)nnection with 
or support from each other ; and when hard pressed and tlieir ranlcs 
thinned by rebel shot and shell, no reinforcements were permitted to go 
to their relief 

Sympathisers Avitli rebellion arc fond of drawing comparisons between 
Northern and Southern armies, to tlie disparagement of the former ; and 
loyal men are often taunted with the remark that Union generals are de- 
ficient in military knowledge, and incompetent to perform the task 
assigned them. This criticism you see. loses all its force and becomes 
a vile slander when the fact is known that for nearly two years the 
General-in-chief was a Copperhead oi the most venomous kind, and hi> 
most trusted subordinates were sim}jly I'cbcls in tlfsguise. 

In nearly every one of the disasters which have befallen the Union 
forces the cause can be distinctly traced to the conduct of some 
one or more commanders who liave been charged, and in several cases 
convicted, of complicity with the rebels. 

But some persons ask. why are not men of undoubted loyalty put in 
command of the army, and why does not the President weed out these 
traitors from the army and the country ? 

The question is well put, for the answer places in vivid contrast the 
principles by which the two ])arties to this war are governed. 

Why then does not the President forbid ihe discussion of war topics 
in the army, and order the instant execution of every man who expres- 
ses the slightest doubt as to the ju.stice and the policy of the war? 



20 

When he orders u conscription, why does he ncjl enforce it with luiyo- 
nets and blood-hounds, and burn every house in Avhich u conscript has 
been harbored ? Why does he not insist that every Union officer shall 
exhibit those traits, and those only, which qualify him for a human butch- 
er ? Wh}^ does he not send armed guerillas into every village and neighbor- 
hood to shoot and hang every man who, by word or sign, shows sympathy 
with the Eebellion ? In short, if he wants to get rid of traitors, why, when 
these copper reptiles lift themselves into notice, does he not strike off 
their heads ? JeiY. Davis does all tliese things, and he is not troubled 
with traitors to the Confederate cause : — why does not President Lin- 
coln do the same ? Simply because this war is being fought on the side 
of the Union, in the interest of humanity. While we are fighting to save 
our political institutions, and the form of government that guarantees 
liberty to the whole human race, we are also fighting to preserve that 
Christian civilization which has raised man out oi' the depths of igno- 
rance and barbarism — out of the moral darkness into which he fell 
when the gates of Eden closed, and shut from all but the eye of faith 
the light that A\'as given to guide him to paradise above. 

This is the I'eason why men's opinions liave not been closely scanned 
and criticised — why spies have not been sent out to gather proof of 
men's complicity with treason — why rebel sympathizers are left undis- 
turbed at Washington, around the doors of Government offices, and 
within the lines of the Federal army. This is the reason wh}^ men in this 
village who declare their hostility to the Government, and express the 
hope that the Eebellion will prove successful, are not arrested and shot, 
as they deserve to be, and as the strict a2:)plication of military law re- 
quires they should be. This is 'the reason why so many^ traitors have 
been treated Avith lenity and their punishment left to Gofi, unto whom 
belongs vengeance. 

Xo doubt the military situation is weakened, and the war prolonged 
by this course ; — because it is this lenity on the part of the Government; 
this attempt, while engaged in a fierce and bloody war, to hold fast to 
the principles of Christianity, and prevent the general demoralization of 
the people, that has enabled traitors to worm themselves into positions 
from which they could strike these cruel blows at the heart of the 
mother who brought them into political life, and from whose overflowing 
breasts they draw their daily nourishment and support. 



21 

It is difiicult, perhaps, lo reconcile the President's lenity to traitors, witli 
Jiis (liity to the loyal people of the counti'v: — -hut, if this humane [)oIicy 
shall tend to conserve the public morals : if it shall preserve from the 
rude grasp of v^dv the virtues and the graces "which Christianity has ^ilaced 
upon the brow of Ircedom, it will compensate for all the losses incurred 
throngh its adoption. Individuals may suffer, and the stream of human 
blood flow on in deeper and Avider channels; but if, when this cruel 
war is ended, the sellish passions it has engendered shall subside, and 
the hearts of the people beat responsive to the song of })raise that Judean 
shepherds heard, proclaiming '•Glory to Grod in the highest, peace on 
earth, good will toward men," then the policy of treating our enemies, 
with Idndness. and returning to them good for evil, will be fully vindi- 
cated. 

It will be readily seen that the prolongation of the war is mainly due 
to the aid Avliich foreign nations and northern Copperheads have given 
to tlie rebels, and not tt^* the inherent poAvers of resistance possessed b}^ 
the States in rebellion. This fact, while it should urge the friends 
of liberty to increased eftbrts to sustain the Government and preserve 
the country, should exonerate the Administration from the charge of 
weakness in grappling with the gTcatest rebellion the world ever saw — 
a rebellion that has its roots in man's perverse and wicked nature, and 
draws its support from those fountains of cruelty and hate which foreign 
nations have opened for its benefit. 

The Government is doing all it can to relicAe the country from the 
throttling grasp of rebellion, and though it may sometimes strike wildly, 
and stagger under the blinding blows of its adversary, it will finally 
justify itself to the country and the world by the complete success of 
its efforts to restore the Union and preserve the institutions of freedom. 

This rebellion is just as sure to be crushed and trodden out as that 
good will finally overcome evil. The country is one, and nothing but 
the Omnipotent hand that made it and assigned its boundaries can di- 
vide it. The Government is founded upon the principle of human 
freedom and the moral and intellectual elevation of the race, and its 
preservation is a necessity of man's nature. 

As a natural consequence this war will l)e continued just as long as 
the Government is endangered, and until every State and Territory in 
rebellion lavs down its arms and proves its loyalty by conforming its 



22 

institutions and its |)(^licy to tlie principles upon wliicli American indepen- 
dence w;is declared and the Federal Government established. 

The duration of the Avar is unknown, hut the fmal result is certain. 

God is on the side of ri2;ht. and though clouds rest about his throne, 
and for the moment conceal the evidences of Divine iavor, yet we believe — 
we know — that the glory which for eighty years shone about our path- 
Avay will again be revealed, and light iis on to a higher and a better 
national existence. The Kebellion will be completely and eft'ectually 
subdued ; the causes that produced it A\:ill disa|)pear forever, and leave 
no stain upon the glittering robes of freedom. The seceded States will 
return to their allegiance and join the immortal sisterhood in main- 
taining the supremacy of the Federal Government, and in declaring that 
henceforth and forever, over the whole counry, from the blue waters of 
the Atlantic to the golden gate that opens upon the Pacilic, from the 
northern lakes to the land of the orange and the pnlm, 

•' The Star Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave, 
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave." 

The man or woman Avho contributes to this end by speaking and 
writing hopefully of the result, by encouraging the Administration and 
the army to persevere in their noble eftbrts, and by bearing patiently 
the burdens which the present crisis demands, will be held in grateful 
remembrance as long as liberty is cherished or patriotism commands 
respect. 

Though I believe in my soul tliat the hour of extremest peril is past, 
and our ultimate triumph lully assured, yet more battles must be fought, 
more victories won. Not till the rebel armies are thoroughly beaten and 
dispersed, their means of resistence exhausted, and their wicked leaders 
captured or driven into exile, will the war cease, and the work of recon- 
struction and restoration commence. 

For the present then, as heretofore, the nation's dt?pendence is upon 
its brave and gallant soldiers. Though every citizen, each in his or her 
own appointed place and vocation can, and will, if they have loyal hearts 
and human affections, aid in some way in putting down the Eebellion. 
vet, to the fighting men of the nation is reserved the immortal honor of 
saving the country from dismemberment, and tht> Government from 
overthrow and dissolution. 



28 

To them i.s assigned llic duty of uiiardiiiL!;, ilei'cudiug and preserving 
the home of lil)ertY fi\)ni tlu- rude hands of tlie spoiler; and to them, 
equally with its founders and l)uilders, will be rendered, through all corn- 
ing time, loud ascriptions of praise, and the liighest honors a grateful 
people can besto^v. . 

But the army which has performed such heroic deeds, and driven the 
rebels almost to tlie point oi' utter defeat and unconditional submission, 
is unable, for want of numbers, to give the finishing blow to the Eebel- 
lion, and close, by one short and brilliant campaign, this bloody war. 
To do this, the ranks of the army must be fdled up, and the Avar prose- 
cuted with rencAved vigoi". 

Economy, patriotism and humanity all unite in demanding that we 
deal vigorous and rapid blows at the heart of the Rebellion, and that 
what we have determined and undertaken to do shall be done quickly. 

A call for volunteers is now ringing through the land, and every 
motive that can stir the soul and nerve the arm is presented to induce 
men to seize this opportuuit}' to serve the country and Avin the honors 
it has to bestoAV ; or, falling nobly in its defence, enter into the inheritance 
prepared for those of whom it shall be said '-Well done good and faith- 
ful servant."" 

Let no man hesitate because the day is far spent and the harvest mostly 
gathered. When opportunity serves, a single moment is sufficient to 
redeem the inactivity of a lifetime : and one sublime deed shall raise 
the actor from the IcA'el of the ignoble and the base up to the purple 
hills of transfiguration. 

As those Avho labored but one hour in the Lord's vineyard shared 
equally with those Avho bore the heat and burden of the day, so the 
men who, at this eleventh hour of the Avar, join the army and help to Avin 
the last and closing victory, Avill receive the samere\A'ard that is meted to the 
liero of a hundred fights, and one glory shall encircle the broAvs of both. 

NoAV if any man. ha\dng the proper cpialifications for a soldier, de- 
sires to see the flag of his country, under Avliose starry folds he has found 
protection, prosperity and honor, sustained, let him at once join the army. 
If he desires to possess an easy conscience and his OAvn self respect 
let him join the arm}'. Tf he looks fot- the friendship and hearty good 
will of his neighbors, let him join the army. If he seeks public favor 
and hopes to be classed among those whom the people Avill delight to 



L 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




012 028 318 



24 



honor, let lum j.^in the army. If bemshes to leave a legacy to bis cbib 
dren, which, like the wido.v's <:r.s^, shall be mexhavTstible forever 
flowing yet never diminished, let him join the army; and finally, it he 
desires that, when bis days on earth are ended, his grave shall be api - 
arim shrine and it ^ tnrf kept foreve* green and blossoming, let him jo n 
The army; lor as it was the highest ambition of the men of 17 76 to 
hay. carved upon their tombstones, "A soldier of the devolution so 
the highest honor and the most endnring fame to which ^ly citizen 
of this generation can attain, will be to have inscribed upon the marble 
that marks his resting place, 



5ACRED 



TO THE ^rEMORY OF 



ONE 



WHO TX THE 



AMERICAN REBELLION 



FOrOHT TO 



SUSTAIN THE GOVERNMENT 



AND 



PRESERVE THE UNION, 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




pBS3 



